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Bismillah!

Thursday, October 05, 2006

To my Muslim Sister, with Love

I pray everyone is making the most of these middle ten days of Ramadan--the days of Forgiveness. Please remember us all in your du'aas

This is truly a beautiful article to read written by a Christianwoman.

Also check this site out : Crescent and Cross

To My Muslim Sister.

Between the Israeli assault on Lebanon and the Zionist "war onterror," the Muslim world is now center stage in every Americanhome. I see the carnage, death and destruction that have befallenLebanon, but I also see something else: I see you. I can't help butnotice that almost every woman I see is carrying a baby or haschildren around her. I see that though they are dressed modestly,their beauty still shines through. But it's not just outer beautythat I notice. I also notice that I feel something strange inside me:I feel envy. I feel terrible for the horrible experiences andwar crimes that the Lebanese people have suffered, being targeted byour common enemy. But I can't help but admire your strength, yourbeauty, your modesty, and most of all, your happiness. Yes, it'sstrange, but it occurred to me that even under constant bombardment,you still seemed happier than we are, because you were still livingthe natural lives of women. The way women have always lived sincethe beginning of time. It used to be that way in the West until the1960s, when we were bombarded by the same enemy. Only we were notbombarded with actual munitions, but with subtle trickery and moralcorruption.

They bombarded us Americans from Hollywood, instead of from fighterjets or with our own American-made tanks. They would like to bombyou in this way too, after they've finished bombing the infrastructure of your countries. I do not want this to happen toyou. You will feel degraded, just like we do. You can avoid thiskind of bombing if you will kindly listen to those of us who havealready suffered serious casualties from their evil influence.Because everything you see coming out of Hollywood is a pack oflies, a distortion of reality, smoke and mirrors. They presentcasual sex as harmless recreation because they aim to destroy themoral fabric of the societies into which they beam their poisonousprogramming. I beg you not to drink their poison. There is noantidote for it once you have consumed it. You may recoverpartially, but you will never be the same. Better to avoid thepoison altogether than to try to heal from the damage it causes.

They will try to tempt you with their titillating movies and musicvideos, falsely portraying us American women as happy and satisfied,proud of dressing like prostitutes, and content without families.Most of us are not happy, trust me. Millions of us are onanti-depressant medication, hate our jobs, and cry at night over themen who told us they loved us, then greedily used us and walkedaway. They would like to destroy your families and convince you tohave fewer children. They do this by presenting marriage as a formof slavery, motherhood as a curse, and being modest and pure asold-fashioned. They want you to cheapen yourself and lose yourfaith. They are like the Serpent tempting Eve with the apple. Don'tbite.

I see you as precious gems, pure gold, or the "pearl of great value"spoken of in the Bible (Matthew 13: 45). All women are pearls ofgreat value, but some of us have been deceived into doubting thevalue of our purity. Jesus said: "Give not that which is holy untothe dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you" (Matthew 7: 6).Our pearls are priceless, but they convince us that they're cheap.But trust me; there is no substitute for being able to look in themirror and seeing purity, innocence and self-respect staring back atyou. The fashions coming out of the Western sewer are designed tomake you believe that your most valuable asset is your sexuality.But your beautiful dresses and veils are actually sexier than anyWestern fashion, because they cloak you in mystery and showself-respect and confidence. A woman's sexuality should be guardedfrom unworthy eyes, since it should be your gift to the man wholoves and respects you enough to marry you. And since your men arestill manly warriors, they deserve no less than your best. Our mendon't even want purity anymore. They don't recognize the pearl ofgreat value, opting for the flashy rhinestone instead. Only to leaveher too.

Your most valuable assets are your inner beauty, your innocence, andeverything that makes you who you are. But I notice that some Muslimwomen push the limit and try to be as Western as possible, evenwhile wearing a veil (with some of their hair showing). Why imitatewomen who already regret, or will soon regret, their lost virtue?There is no compensation for that loss. You are flawless diamonds.Don't let them trick you into becoming rhinestones. Becauseeverything you see in the fashion magazines and on Westerntelevision is a lie. It is Satan's trap. It is fool's gold.

I'll let you in on a little secret, just in case you're curious:pre-marital sex is not even that great. We gave our bodies to themen we were in love with, believing that that was the way to makethem love us and want to marry us. Just as we had seen on televisiongrowing up. But without the security of marriage and the sure knowledge that he will always stay with us, it's not even enjoyable!That's the irony. It was just a waste. It leaves you in tears.Speaking as one woman to another, I believe that you understand thatalready. Because only a woman can truly understand what's in anotherwoman's heart. We really are all alike. Our race, religion ornationalities do not matter. A woman's heart is the same everywhere.We love. That's what we do best. We nurture our families and givecomfort and strength to the men we love. But we American women havebeen fooled into believing that we are happiest having careers, ourown homes in which to live alone, and freedom to give our love awayto whomever we choose. That is not freedom. And that is not love.Only in the safe haven of marriage can a woman's body and heart besafe to love. Don't settle for anything less. It's not worth it. Youwon't even like it and you'll like yourself even less afterwards.Then he'll leave you.

Sin never pays. It always cheats you. Even though I have reclaimedmy honor, there's still no substitute for having never beendishonored in the first place. We Western women have beenbrainwashed into thinking that you Muslim women are oppressed. Buttruly, we are the ones who are oppressed; slaves to fashions thatdegrade us, obsessed with our weight, begging for love from men whodo not want to grow up. Deep down inside, we know that we have beencheated. We secretly admire and envy you, although some of us willnot admit it. Please do not look down on us or think that we likethings the way they are. It's not our fault. Most of us did not havefathers to protect us when we were young because our families havebeen destroyed. You know who is behind this plot. Don't be fooled,my sisters. Don't let them get you too. Stay innocent and pure. We Christian women need to see what life is really supposed to be likefor women. We need you to set the example for us, because we arelost. Hold onto your purity.

Remember: you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube. So guardyour "toothpaste" carefully!

I hope you receive this advice in the spirit in which it isintended: the spirit of friendship, respect, and admiration. Fromyour Christian sister – with love.

wow, someone emailed this to me. it is amazingly beautiful, i wish all the women in the world could read it. i don't even have the words to express the transcending message of truth, dignity, and flawlessness this message holds. please do find a way to expand the boundaries onto which this poetic piece can be read.

About Me

Born and raised in Northern California, Shamira Chothia Ahmed is an emerging young female scholar of the traditional Islamic sciences. Her studies led her to seek sacred knowledge from scholars on three continents — Africa, Europe, and Asia. Upon receiving ijaazas (authorizations) to teach from renowned scholars in various Islamic disciplines, she was granted the opportunity to be an instructor of Hanafi fiqh for women at the Zaytuna Institute in Hayward, California. Privately, she taught fiqh (jurisprudence), tajwid (cantillation) and Qur'anic tafsir (exegesis). Ustadha Shamira gives lectures across the U.S. to various female audiences.